TO THE STARS THAT LISTEN

CHAPTER 3: He is the guy!

Ira

I and Vani tried to have a deep conversation over two pints of ice cream, a bottle of wine and an entire season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. but well who am I kidding a deep conversation with this woman will happen when the hell freezes over. So, we just ended up randomly deciding that I would just meet these boys my parents chose for me and just say no to marrying them with some random excuse.

The next day I called my mother to tell her that I was ready to meet the boys she and my father chose but obviously, my previous decision didn't matter because they already had some rishtas (matches) for me. Surprisingly, this time they didn't listen to Eka didi either, who very nicely had asked them to stop bothering me with this marriage talk. Mom sent me three biodatas of the boys they thought would match our social status. It had their pictures and a brief description of they were. One of them was a lawyer at his family firm, the other was a CFO at his father's company and the last one was a pilot. I quite liked the last one, with one look I could see he actually struggled but I couldn't understand how they chose a mere pilot. I just shrugged the thought because who cares I was going to say a no anyways.

I booked a midnight ticket to Mysore a week hence, for myself and my other friend Ansh who apparently doesn't like going to hospital without having me there to annoy. He too worked at the same hospital as me, as an orthopedic resident surgeon. He had family there so while I would spend time with my siblings he would, with his.

Our seats were on the second row to the left of the cockpit, one in the middle and one aisle seat. The window seat was already occupied by some young girl who was probably in her early 20s. "Yes Maa I am seated, Bhai had to fill some formalites that's why he left me at security check. Don't worry I am ok. I will call you once I reach okay?...Bye. I love you too." She spoke on the phone while I adjusted my handbag in the overhead cabin.

I sat in the middle seat while Ansh took the aisle seat beside me. I sat with my earpods pludded inside my ears. They provided noise cancellation so I didn't have to hear all those flight announcements and could listen to my Taylor Swift playlist and closed my eyes, switching off my work mode for the next seven days.

Almost 10 minutes later, Ansh nudged me bringing me out of my Taylor Swift world. It was dark outside and even the lights inside were dimmed yet it took me quite some time to adjust to the little brightness present. I took off my earpods, "Get up! and talk to me I am getting bored" He whined.

"We talk daily. Just read some book or watch a movie or just doze off. Don't disturb me!" I replied in the same tone."

"I tried. I just don't feel like doing anything of that sorts. Please talk to me. Pleaseeeeeee" and I heard a womanly giggle from my other side and turned to the girl on my right.

" I am sorry. I was wide awake and couldn't help eavesdrop your conversation. by the way hi, I am Reet Jindal." she extended a hand to us.

" Dr. Ira Mehta" I shook her hand with a firm grip and Ansh extended his hand offering her a handshake himself "Dr. Ansh Garg" He said but her eyes stayed on me.

"Dr.Ira Mehta?" She repeated after me.

" Yeah. I'm sorry have we met before?" I enquired.

"NO." She replied coming out of her daze. "No I am sorry I thought I heard that name before. Never mind I was just confused. Nice name though. Elegant."

"Thankyou." I gave a sweet smile.

"So, Reet? Do you have a family in Mysore or are you too off for a vacation?" Ansh enquired.

"No, my holidays just ended I am going back to my college in Ooty. I study architecture there and as there is no airport in the city itself, I am supposed to travel there from Mysore." She claimed. "What about you two?"

"I am visiting my sister in Mysore and he is visiting his family." I replied. "Yeah and because we both work together, are bestriends and both needed a break we booked a flight together." Ansh added.

"Oh!That's great. You know the pilot is my brother!" she exclaimed delightfully. "For the first time in soo long I actully wanted to go back to college because he had promised to pull some strings and fly me." so that's why she was talking about her brother on the phone.

"That's adorable." Ansh said.

The rest of the flight journey went by with these two talking about how pretty Ooty was. Ansh told that he and his family shifted to Mysore when he was five, due to his father's job and they used to visit the nearby hill station every summer. They described it so beautifully that now even I wanted to go there. We too told her about how much we loved our life-sucking job.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into Mysore. Please turn off all portable electronic devices and stow them until we have arrived at the gate. In preparation for landing in Mysore, be certain your seat back is straight up and your seat belt is fastened. Please secure your carry-on items, stow your tray table, and pass any remaining service items and unwanted reading materials to the flight attendants. Thank you." the airhostess announced.

The captain or Reet's brother, as she claimed him to be, announced about the heavy downpour the city was experiencing but the landing was safe as there weren't any thunderstorms. When the plane was parked at the gates the airhostess asked everyone descending to remain seated as there was some problem in attaching the front door to the aerobridge and the back exit was shut due to the downpour. Yet, no one listened and crowded the aisle.

Ansh stood infront of me to pick out our bags from the overhead cabin. He took out another bag and passed it to our sweet companion earning himself a shy thankyou. Ansh might be a headache for me but this 6'1 tall man is a heartthrob. That's one of the reason why his girlfriend, my ex-roommate Muskaan, trusts only me with this guy. Muskaan was out of city for a work trip so another reason why he didn't wanna stay back at home.

From my place all I could see was Ansh's gigantic body, so I shifted inside back in the second row this time where Ansh was sitting while Reet stood just behind me.

"Bhai!" she shrieked and I turned to look towards the stewardess station right outside the cockpit. Two air hostesses stood near the exit gate trying to handle the exit situation one of them stood near the cockpit gate along with two pilots.

'I have seen this guy somewhere. Oh Fuck! He is THE guy.'

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